Highlights
- Haunted Chocolatier, the upcoming game from the creator of Stardew Valley, is expected to have similar gameplay and visual aesthetics.
- Festivals or holidays in Haunted Chocolatier could have plot or lore relevance.
- Halloween and Christmas are potential holidays that could be featured in Haunted Chocolatier, each with its own unique elements and possible story connections. Halloween in particular would already be perfectly suited to Haunted Chocolatier's focus on ghosts and sweets.
Expectations are running high for Haunted Chocolatier after the runaway success of its developer's previous game, Stardew Valley. Several gameplay elements are expected to carry over along with the overall visual aesthetic which is already known to have a strong resemblance to Stardew Valley. One of these elements is the seasonal holidays, and at least one of them can have some in-game plot or lore relevance.
As of writing, little is known about Haunted Chocolatier beyond what has been gleaned from the developer's cryptic clues and occasional sharing of artwork and screenshots. Their inclusion seems likely, but Haunted Chocolatier needs to lean hard into a particular holiday and make it as interesting as possible.
Stardew Valley Dev Teases Haunted Chocolatier Game With New Screenshots
Stardew Valley’s sole developer teases fans about their upcoming title, Haunted Chocolatier, posting screenshots that show off more about the game.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Be A Big Halloween Game
Ghosts are going to be heavily featured in Haunted Chocolatier, and this is naturally Halloween territory. Haunted Chocolatier not going all out for Halloween will be something of a missed opportunity, subverting the expectations of many would-be players.
Halloween is known in the real world as a day celebrated in various cultures that generally has some association with frights, sweets, and otherworldly spirits. It would be interesting if the holiday, or whatever its in-game equivalent might be, had some major relevance to the plot. It could be analogous to the annual Grandpa's rating system in Stardew Valley, or something to that effect.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Also Be A Christmas Game
Some screenshots of Haunted Chocolatier seem to point to Christmas being somewhat important in the game; the setting appears to be very snowy, and other elements typically associated with Christmas like gifts and lights, are also seen in the currently available screenshots. Perhaps The Haunted Chocolatier could take some or other inspiration from the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, since there are spirits present in this story, too, albeit those of Christmas rather than Halloween.
It is difficult to say what kind of plot relevance Halloween could have. At best, there are educated guesses about the story of Haunted Chocolatier, mostly based on ConcernedApe's screenshots and the assumption that the game will have the bones of Stardew Valley to some extent. There is also the possibility of Stardew Valley character cameos in Haunted Chocolatier, and these could come as part of special seasonal events.
Anything Is Possible For Haunted Chocolatier
Nonetheless, it will be disappointing if Halloween does not have at least some significance. There are arguments for and against Haunted Chocolatier leaning into the horror elements, which it doesn't necessarily have to do to make an in-game Halloween event memorable and distinct.
Perhaps a Halloween plot event could help explain how and why the chocolate shop is haunted. It could also be an opportunity to highlight special and unique character interactions or set up a subtle connection to Stardew Valley. There has been speculation about whether the games are somehow related, but it is still unknown if Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier share a universe.
It's important to remember that Haunted Chocolatier is not Stardew Valley 2. It is already known to differ in various ways, but its similarities could also be more than superficial. For example, the combat in Haunted Chocolatier looks to be a different creature entirely when compared to Stardew Valley. The game may end up not having any holidays at all for players to anticipate and celebrate, but Haunted Chocolatier could also make Halloween incredibly special given its atmosphere and premise.
Haunted Chocolatier
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.